


The Truth Behind Captain Spirit

by toothIess



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Game Spoilers, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, before the game, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 23:25:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15060098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toothIess/pseuds/toothIess
Summary: This is the main reason why Chris chose to be Captain Spirit





	The Truth Behind Captain Spirit

Chris could still remember every detail about his mother’s face, from the freckles around her nose to the way her mouth would curve into a smile which used to brighten his whole day. Her green eyes were bright and used to be filled with mirth whenever she would join him during one of his games or when she would draw another innocent comic for him about things ordinary people would do. Only his mother was anything but ordinary. She was extraordinary in Chris’ eyes.

Ever since Chris had been little he always been exceptionally close with his mother who seemed to understand him better than his father did. They would talk about superheroes for many hours of the day, or they would play video games together. His mother’s enthusiasm for superheroes was the sole reason why Chris was so passionate about them as well. It was a common thing that they shared together and bonded over, and it had even brought them _closer_ together.

His mother had even provided him with all sorts equipment that he could use so that they could make all sorts of costumes with each other and face the evil together. Chris had already envisioned this whole costume that he wanted to create for his superhero and what kind of powers that he would possess.

“He needs to have a name, Chris,” his mother had said late one afternoon, when Chris had only been six years old, while they were gathered at the dining table as tons of fabric lay scattered everywhere. “People and his enemies need something that they can call him and they can remember him by. Without a name he will be forgotten.”

Chris lowered his pencil to meet her gaze, and saw the friendliness in her eyes. “I was actually thinking about Captain Spirit,” he replied.

“ _Captain Spirit_?” she repeated with interest because this was actually the first time that he had mentioned the name of his superhero. “Is there a specific reason why you chose _this_ name?”

He smiled at her. “I just liked it,” he said.

His mother return the smile as she ruffled through his blonde hair which caused the boy to laugh. “It suits him, sweetheart. I’m certain that people will remember Captain Spirit and all of these wondrous deeds that he will accomplish. The people will rely on him and they will close him in their hearts. Now you just need to decide what kind of cape that you want to give to Captain Spirit.”

“Does he need a cape? Because in _The Incredibles_ they show how dangerous it is for a superhero to fly with a cape and how many of them died with it,” Chris replied with a grimace as he thought back of the movie which they had watched like ten times together. “I don’t want Captain Spirit to die when he tries to save the people.”

Her smile enlarged. “Oh you’re definitely right, Chris. Only with a cape Captain Spirit will fly faster. Still this is your superhero and this is your decision to make. I can only assist you with creating the cape.” She placed a loving kiss on his forehead which touch lingered there for hours to come.

Chris had plenty of beautiful and meaningful memories with his mother like that, where it was just the two of them. His father cared little about superheroes and hardly ever joined them while they were pretending to save the town from threatening danger and evil. To Chris it was almost as if the bond with his mother grew stronger with all of the time that they got to spent together and all of the memories that they had made.

That was why the pain had been unbearable when his father came to him early one morning to tell him that his mother had been the victim of a hit-and-run and had died as the result of it. Chris had been waiting for his mother to come home that morning because she had promised that she was going to take him out to go shopping for a Christmas tree. He had sat there on his bed tightly clutching one of his action figures as he listened to his father sharing this devastating news with him as tears fell onto the pillow. It was almost as if his father’s words didn’t ring through. There was no way that his mother could be dead. She was a _superhero_ after all. She was supposed to save _him_! She couldn’t just be gone as if she had vaporized into nothing. His father must be lying. There was no way that a powerful and witty superhero like her could be defeated by an ordinary human.

He had spent the entirety of that day staring out of the window as he waited for his mother’s car to pull up on the driveway.

Only that never happened. She _didn’t_ come home.

That first Christmas without his mother was absolutely agonizing and it was the worst one in Chris’ opinion. There had been no Christmas tree or any presents that year because his father had decided that there was no cause for celebration. Instead his father drank away at least ten beer cans in one sitting while he was watching some basketball game on the television while he pretended that Chris wasn’t there in the room with him. Chris’ heart had already shattered from the loss of his mother, but not being able to talk to his father about what had happened didn’t help him with grieving at all.

Chris had spent the way day lying in the bed of his parents while he looked around the room at the stuff that his mother had left there, with the intention that she would return. Chris knew that it wasn’t her fault that she wasn’t here, but it didn’t ease his suffering. It made him feel alone, ignored and isolated.

Of course every person grieved differently. While his father found solace and comfort in alcohol, Chris chose to focus his attention more on his superheroes. He spent more time playing with his action figures, rereading all of his comics or making some more costumes for Captain Spirit. this was his way of keeping his mother’s spirit alive and at some moments it was almost as if she was still here with him, as if she ruffled through his hair and made comments about his drawings. It was what Chris needed to help him get through the day. This was precisely what he needed. It was what made him cope.

This was pretty much how Chris continued to struggle on by himself while his father withered away because of all of the alcohol that he was consuming on a daily basis which drastically changed his behavior. He was more forgetful, angrier and sometimes he would physically express his feelings towards Chris which would result into several colored bruises all over his arm. The blonde would wear shirts with long sleeves which would cover his whole arms so that no one could see it.

It wasn’t that his father was terrible or abuse. He just didn’t know how to deal with his grief and had was succumbed by constant bitterness and darkness which took over his life. He barely talked to Chris anymore and only put little effort into making him something to eat, and would even forget to eat something himself. Mostly importantly what little money they had he would invest into purchasing more beer or whiskey to sustain his addiction. He would act all cleverly about it as if he assumed that Chris was left in the dark about his addiction, but Chris had seem his addiction grow since his mother had passed away. It had turned his father into an entirely different person who Chris barely recognized. It was almost as if he was staring a complete stranger into his eyes.

The only solace that Chris had these days were his superheroes and his superheroes and running around through their garden while he pretended to able to have telekinesis. Captain Spirit had failed to protect his mother when she had needed him the most. Chris had made a vow that he wasn’t going to fail again and that he was going to save whoever he could because he couldn’t lose someone else again.

That was why Chris had completed the costume of Captain Spirit by adding the cape which his mother had made for him a few days before the accident. Whenever he would clasp the fabric around his neck it was almost as if his mother was still here with him and as if she had her arms tightly wrapped around him. It was a feeling that Chris needed to feel to be alive.

He knew that his mother would be proud of him for keeping her memory alive.


End file.
